There's a storm brewing...

[reb422]

So what does anyone think the percent that this phone will come out Thursday compared to previous times

And without increased data pricing

 

[Edwill86]

So what does anyone think the percent that this phone will come out Thursday compared to previous times

at the moment I would say.... 50, 50
Until vzw says "its coming ____!" anyway.

 

[amotter]

I am banking on the 17th....it just seems to fit. But who knows?

 

[hitman92499]

Yeah, I'm keepin 'em all in my garage

-Frank

I knew it was you all along Frank...just swimming in all the Tbolts like Scrooge McDuck in his money! Little did you know VZW and HTC were on to you and you only have dummy phones with iOS 4.2!! BWAH HAHAHAHAHA!!

 

[thedeceiver]

Firmware updates are usually handled OTA (over the air). They can also be done tethered to a computer (if there is an ruu or executable file of the update). They can be anything from adding a feature to the OS (yahoo mail was one from last year), bug fixes, to a new version of the OS (from 2.1 eclair to 2.2 froyo). There can be some issues with firmware updates, even resulting in bricking the phone (like what happened to some Evos shortly after launch) but if that happens and it is an official update the manufacturer/carrier is responsible for replacing it.

As far as opening the unit that is not necessary for a firmaware update. Firmware updates are software and have nothing to do with changing the hardware. If any hardware needs to be changed in a phone it would be under a recall.

All great points. One other key item that gets updated many times with "true" firmware updates is how the hardware interacts with the software as well as with different hardware components interacting with each other or in the case of cell phones, with towers, etc.

For example, you heard about firmware updates to address 4G handoff/battery issues... those firmware updates contained "radio" updates which would have resolved issues or just changed the behavior of the radio itself.

These days the term "firmware update" has become ubiquitous with a number of things. Us old school tech peeps remember firmware updates as being updates to the BIOS of our PC's, video cards, etc.

 

[realitydigg]

Do any firmware updates require opening up the device? I would think this is also a critical question?

Software is built up in layers. with firmware being at the bottom of the stack. Generally firmware refers to software that has to be loaded onto a programable chip - like bios. It has to be there when the system starts up. So this usually means that you arent just upgrading the operating system or putting an app on top of the OS. Usually you will see something basic telling you not to shut the device off or you could damage it, while the firmware is updates. Once it is flashed then you are good to go. So yes, as many people have said available OTA or without opening the device. unless you want to go back to the 80's when you had to remove chips and replace them to upgrade ....

 

[thisiscrazy]

Is it just me or does it feel like as if HTC was eager to throw a teaser announcement out as soon as the day (Friday) was over, leading my brain to work overtime and wonder if there was some sort of gag order from VZW to not let any announcement out until the launch of iPad2?

Also the HTC rep's short-lived tweet and HTC's official FB post + tweet came within 12 hours of each other. Is it some sort of damage control or soon is really very soon?

Points to ponder.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

I was thinking the same thing.

Sent from my Palm Pilot using Tapatalk.

 

[amotter]

So the firmware reports that need updating (according to some of these reports) could be just about anything?

 

[thedeceiver]

So the firmware reports that need updating (according to some of these reports) could be just about anything?

Yes... from bug fixes to optimizations to improve performance of the device, the UI, the battery, the radio, the screen, the proximity detector... anything pretty much.

 

[ivan a rom#AC]

So what does anyone think the percent that this phone will come out Thursday compared to previous times

1/365

 

[leehblanc]

All great points. One other key item that gets updated many times with "true" firmware updates is how the hardware interacts with the software as well as with different hardware components interacting with each other or in the case of cell phones, with towers, etc.

For example, you heard about firmware updates to address 4G handoff/battery issues... those firmware updates contained "radio" updates which would have resolved issues or just changed the behavior of the radio itself.

These days the term "firmware update" has become ubiquitous with a number of things. Us old school tech peeps remember firmware updates as being updates to the BIOS of our PC's, video cards, etc.

Wow. Great post, bro. I'm impressed with how easily you simplified this for the "newbies" or non-technical people.

Just to take it a step further... updating the firmware on a phone could most easily be compared to applying a "hotfix" or "service pack" to Windows or OSX.

The Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (commonly referred to as an "EEPROM") mentioned in an earlier post works very much like the new Solid State hard drives you may have read about. They are a memory chip that retain their information even when the device is powered off.

 

[FrankXS]

Firmware updates are usually handled OTA (over the air).

Agree with everything you said about OTA updates. But, the delay may be over contract modification logistics and/or time-frame issues rather than the technical method for delivering the eventual updates. Ain't nothin' gonna happen till it's in writing.

-Frank

 

[hitman92499]

The Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (commonly referred to as an "EEPROM") mentioned in an earlier post works very much like the new Solid State hard drives you may have read about. They are a memory chip that retain their information even when the device is powered off.

I didn't want to flat out say "EEPROM" because that's what we call it in the auto industry. I have lots of experience with automotive electrical systems, but very little with phones. I'm learning a lot being on here and will continue to learn more as soon as I get that Tbolt in my hands!

 

[Bigdaddy1207]

I wish ben5 would get on here and give us a little good info.

 

[leehblanc]

I didn't want to flat out say "EEPROM" because that's what we call it in the auto industry. I have lots of experience with automotive electrical systems, but very little with phones. I'm learning a lot being on here and will continue to learn more as soon as I get that Tbolt in my hands!

We've been calling them EEPROMs since I was flashing the BIOS on my 386... now I'm dating myself, which stands to reason since no one will date a guy that knows such things

 

[hitman92499]

I believe he referred to this as the "calm before the storm."

 

[hitman92499]

We've been calling them EEPROMs since I was flashing the BIOS on my 386... now I'm dating myself, which stands to reason since no one will date a guy that knows such things

I'm only 28 and I remember doing all sorts of things to 386's. lol

EDIT: The key to finding someone in this case is making sure they know nothing of you previous computer expertise.

 

[NCX]

Except when they update from the factories or instore they use an SD card.

When they boot into H-Boot, it looks for a particular file before it will update anything, same goes for Recovery. This is how companies update devices

They send OTA's so there is nothing for us to do so we can't botch up the install process.

Keep that in mind.

 

[Chance]

Good morning!

Quick question, I usually get my phones over the phone and they are shipped to me. So I get no activation fee. If I go day one and buy the Tbolt in store will I get activation fee?
Is there a way to avoid this fee?
Activation is to easy, I don't need a $35 charge for something that takes couple mins that's easy lol.

 

[prakash99]

Good morning!

Quick question, I usually get my phones over the phone and they are shipped to me. So I get no activation fee. If I go day one and buy the Tbolt in store will I get activation fee?
Is there a way to avoid this fee?
Activation is to easy, I don't need a $35 charge for something that takes couple mins that's easy lol.

Just tell the reps at the store that you will be activating the phone yourself.